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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23582230">Caspar and Ashe Mythbusting Co.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyriptid/pseuds/Kyriptid'>Kyriptid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Canon-Typical Violence, Friends to Lovers, Ghost Hunters, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Past Relationship(s), Slow Burn, Spelunking, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:22:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23582230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyriptid/pseuds/Kyriptid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This AU is very close to but still parallel to the normal canon. It's basically if none of the students from the game ever went to Garreg Mach and instead lived out their lives normally. Edelgard doesn't instigate war in this AU. Some characters are supernatural beings, causing some canon relationships/friendships to be either belated or completely different. </p><p>_______</p><p>Caspar and Ashe are a duo known across Fódlan for braving well known hauntings and investigating rumors of magical beasts. They have made many friends along the way, but they had all been human until now. A case taking them to the notoriously mysterious Sealed Forest changes their lives- and potentially their work- forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert &amp; Linhardt von Hevring, Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Linhardt von Hevring, Caspar von Bergliez &amp; Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Caspar von Bergliez &amp; Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert &amp; Linhardt von Hevring, Caspar von Bergliez &amp; Linhardt von Hevring, Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Linhardt von Hevring, Caspar von Bergliez/Linhardt von Hevring</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys~ this is a lot of me just gushing over this trio dynamic. I'll update when I feel I have each chapter ready. I don't really have an end to the story in mind right now, so it is kinda in that weird limbo that some TV shows are in where stuff happens but not for any particular overarcing plot. </p><p>The Cashepar is pretty mild burn while Linhardt getting thrown into the mix is pretty slow burn. </p><p>Also: I think the trio ship name should be called "cashfart". It's funny and I like it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"According to the map, we should be coming up on it pretty soon."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar shifted his shield on his shoulder, excitement bubbling up from the news of nearing their destination. The quiet clanking of his gauntlets at his thigh kept his mind from wandering too far off into his imagination, though he had plenty to fantasize about their upcoming expedition. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was an explorer of sorts. He would go from region to region investigating local myths and folktales to find out what was make-believe and what was grounded in reality. The number of times their searches came up dry outnumbered their successes by a long shot, but it was the few times that fairy tales turned out to be less of a legend and more of a historical document that made all of his line of work worth it. With their treks came an easy amount of gold to sustain themselves. Be it from slaying monsters, finding treasure, or simply by protecting merchants and towns from bandits. Being handy in a fight was pretty useful, even in times of peace. His partner was no less capable in a fight, and was the reason this whole escapade hadn't fallen through the cracks years ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Said companion that braved it all through thick and thin was his best friend in the world, Ashe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them had known each other for some years now. They ended up crossing paths one moon when a larger city came under attack from a particularly nasty swarm of flying beasts. Ashe's stellar archery in that fight caught Caspar's eye, and the two hit it off over some light mead and tales of their exploits. Prior to meeting him he had been wandering as a mercenary, though he had always wanted to go and explore the mysteries of the world. When Ashe first expressed his interest in legends of old and a slight wanderlust himself, Caspar had leapt at the opportunity to recruit him for his journey. By some miracle on high, Ashe decided he would do it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest is history sprinkled between settlements all across Fódlan in the form of a justice loving duo digging up old folk lore and braving all sorts of haunted structures and demon's dens. Most were light hearted, others were recounted with a touch more annoyance. So it goes with someone like Caspar leading the small party. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had met friends along the way that temporarily aided their quests. A young man with fiery hair had aided them in hunting down what turned out to be a specter lurking in the shadows of a sleepy river village. The two had not taken to him very well at first considering his flirtatious attitude towards everything that breathed, but when they were caught in a tough spot against some nasty reanimated beasts, their newfound friend came to their aid with spells blazing and a lance that glowed with magic. Afterwards they ended up travelling together for a few months, but eventually parted ways with him when he got a letter from his family to return home for some pressing matters. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sylvain, the man was called, promised to meet them again someday and treat them to dinner. Caspar had leapt at the opportunity to seal the promise with a bro hug and fist bump. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another instance was a crossing roads with a young woman in the midst of fending off some bandits from her travelling partner. She didn't look like much in a fight, but the way she commanded the battlefield with her axe alone was something Caspar would not soon forget. The two women were travelling to meet with a good friend of theirs in Derdriu when a minorly famous pack of thieves took upon them. Caspar and Ashe showing up was just barely enough to get them through the fight despite their many injuries. The lady that had been hiding throughout the fight wasted no time in healing all of their wounds with white magic so gentle and strong that Caspar stared at her for a while in shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marianne was the healer's name. She had the sweetest smile of anyone he had ever seen, and the only time he saw it it was directed towards her partner, Hilda. The two were obviously not strangers to a fight, but the coincidence of their meeting was still a bit strange. Nevertheless, Ashe and Caspar insisted they escort the two the rest of the way to Derdriu. They were only four hours out, and were headed that direction on a lead anyways. Caspar begged Marianne to teach him some healing while on the road. She promised she would think about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turns out the two ladies were meeting with the Duke Riegan, who was apparently a good friend of theirs. To repay the two men's kindness and bravery, the Duke insisted he give them food and a place to rest while they investigated their next case. Claude was the name of the Duke, and he was probably more mysterious than half of their cases combined. Ashe had mentioned he was a bit wary of him, but neither could help admitting he seemed and was very reliable. Their lead turned up, and they ended up having a tiny army to lead against the beasts they had heard lurking in the waters of the ocean to the east. Hilda, Marianne and even Claude had agreed to help the two, saying that merchants would appreciate them ensuring the safety of the waters for trade. It's a good thing they were recruited for the mission too- the cthulu-like demon that slept a few miles out almost sank their ship in the fight. Having two archers, one being mounted on a wyvern, and two axe users had been their saving grace. Marianne, once again, healed everyone afterwards, securing their overall health even in the wake of a devastating fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Ashe and Caspar left Derdriu later that month, they were regarded as heroes by the townsfolk and were openly welcomed to return at any time by Duke Riegan himself. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Caspar often found himself musing over their past exploits fondly. He treasured every encounter they had and sincerely came to love all the friends they made along the way. He knew Ashe felt more or less the same from the smile he wore when they'd reminisce by the fire at night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There it is."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar snapped from his thoughts and blinked up towards where the sun was setting over a mangle of trees in the distance. An odd fog was hovering around the forest despite the hour of day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, the Sealed Forest was upon them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they had approached the first few trees, they began setting up their camp. Ashe pulled their tents off the saddle bag of his horse as Caspar gathered enough wood for a fire. The autumn chill had already begun to set in despite daylight still peeking over the horizon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After he had gathered rocks for a fire circle and enough wood and bark to last the night, he squatted next to the pit and tried to light it with magic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keep in mind, his magic abilities were very minor. All he knew had been taught to him by Sylvain about two years ago- and that had just been a poor excuse for a crash course. Sylvain was as reliable as they come in a fight, but heaven forbid he try teaching anything to anyone. Ashe stepped back from his work of their tents and cast an amused look over his shoulder at Caspar snapping his fingers at a pile of logs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar, we still have fire starters."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know!! I've almost got it…."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar snapped his fingers a few more times, mumbling what he thought were some pretty spooky words under his breath in hopes they could summon a smoulder. They sounded more like the sweet nothings Ashe would whisper to any and every cat they came across on their journey. (Not that Caspar didn't do the same thing. He just refuses to admit to it.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually he gave up and heaved himself to his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"These logs are just broken."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He announced this like a doctor would tell the family of a patient that their daughter passed away during a simple medical examination. He was unimpressed by the 'stupid' logs he had found and blamed them for not heeding his command to set themselves on fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe laughed off his annoyance and fetched one of the tiny bundles of tinder wrapped in thin paper and wax. He tossed it into the pile and easily brought the fire to life with a few short seconds of twisting a few sticks together between his palms. Caspar glowered at the logs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Traitors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of all the mundane things that come with setting up camp, I'm still utterly flabbergasted that your least favorite part is starting the fire," Ashe mused to his friend from his seat near the fire, already in the process of removing most of his travel armor. Considering he usually hung back and attacked from afar, there wasn't near as much to bother with as Caspar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Said brawler was heaving his shoulder pauldrons off and tossing them unceremoniously to the dirt next to what he now claimed was his tent. His arm shield had already joined them, and soon he had his chest plates off as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, well, you're just stupid good at it. It's not my fault that fire hates me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They soon settled into a comfortable silence by the fire, unwinding from the long day of journeying on the road. They had ran into a small group of bandits attacking a trio of merchants on their way, so they had some fresher jerky for dinner tonight than they usually did. Caspar was currently digging into his portion. Ashe, on the other hand, was sipping on the remains of his water supply. The majority of it had been sloshed into a bowl and offered to his horse, who objectively had it worse than either of the men. Caspar had been a bit concerned when he learned they were low on water, but Ashe soothed him by pointing out a river that ran through the forest they could replenish with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Very few things beat fresh river water, in Caspar's humble but firm opinion. It was always nice and cool, and had a gnarly gritty taste to it. Ashe always chided him for drinking it straight from the source, saying it could still make him sick, but he has yet to catch anything from it. So. It isn't an issue!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe stood up from his spot and lumbered back to the tent that was not claimed as Caspar's. He waved over his shoulder. "See you in the morning." He disappeared behind the flaps and left Caspar to munch on his dinner alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sounds of crickets blended with the crackle of the fire. It was a familiar sound, especially in central and southern Fódlan. It reminds him of home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decided to leave the rest of the strip for the morning, wrapped it back up in the paper, and shoved it into his backpack. Once he stomped the fire out and double checked on the horse, he slithered into his tent and hunkered down for the night. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>That night he had odd dreams. He thought he saw someone in the darkness of his slumber, but they were too far away to make out any notable features. He did notice, however, that they were running from something. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning they scattered the ashes from the fire, packed up camp, and began their careful journey into the forest. Caspar kept up a quiet chatter as they walked. They found that river Ashe had mentioned and restocked on water- of course not before Caspar could splash around in the shore for a bit. Ashe led his horse by the reins to a willow that was dipping its roots into the current. He tied the steed to said tree and ensured it had enough lead to move around with. Most of their packs and extra weapons were deposited nearby under cover of some leaves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued into the forest for another quarter mile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn't sure if Caspar had been sensing it, but the forest felt oddly still. The fog had yet to lift even when it was nearing late morning. The bird song was always distant no matter how far in they went. If the rumors of the forest weren't true, he could definitely see why a mischievous imagination would think something up for a place like this anyways. It had a spooky air to it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After they'd left the horse behind about half a mile, Ashe urged Caspar to slow their pace so he could double check the map. He studied tree clusters and the path they had likely taken, but was soon puzzled by what he was seeing. According to this, they should have reached a clearing in the center by now. They had already passed the river, which theoretically ran close to the center of the forest. And, yet, they hadn't even spotted a single gap in the tree formations. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If this map is correct we should have already hit the clearing. Maybe they underestimated the size of the forest when drawing it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar shrugged, apparently not as bugged about it as the archer was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dunno. You'd think they'd double check their work by flying over it, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar…" Ashe shot him an exasperated look over the parchment, "I don't know of any human being alive that can draw on the back of a wyvern. Or a pegasus for that matter."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, they can at least look with their </span>
  <em>
    <span>eyes, </span>
  </em>
  <span>can't they??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe halted his movements, shaking his head. He always had to be the voice of reason in instances like this, didn't he? He folded the map back up and tucked it into his breastplate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"However they made this, and whoever made this, they're still human and can make mistakes. We haven't made any turns yet, so I suppose all we can do is keep going straight forward."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chanced a look up into the canopy. It drowned out any chance of discerning the angle of the sun. Not even the dapple on the forest floor told him much. They pressed forward, a quiet settling between them that told Ashe that Caspar was a little bugged by the situation now that he had been made aware of it. He may be oblivious, but he isn't truly dumb. They've been in the business long enough to leave their doubts at the door before venturing into haunted mansions. A haunted forest was no different. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The thing about this forest is that no one has ever been able to cut from one side to the other through the middle. A clearing can be seen from the sky above in the middle, but no matter how many people venture in to find it, it always remains undiscovered to the outside world. A few people have tried to fly down into it, but the fog that swathes over the trees and forest seems to get fliers turned around and end up right back where they started. It always seems to get thicker the closer you get to the clearing, though. A few records claim that curious travellers had made it very deep into the forest to the point that they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces through the fog. When it finally lifted, they found themselves at the treeline, back where they entered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There had been no reports of casualties from the forest, so whatever it was that caused all of these shenanigans wasn't necessarily hostile. This was not a case of theirs settled on exorcising- it was simply of exploration and discovery. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey… Ashe?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe turned his head back towards his companion. The fog had grown thicker since he last took note of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What is it, Caspar?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar scanned the treeline around them, keeping his pace up despite the hesitancy in his posture and words. He seemed spooked by something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm gettin' the feeling something is watching us."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was another thing. Travellers all seemed to agree that whatever it was that inhabited the woods had a habit of watching visitors during their snooping around. No matter how hard everyone looked, they could never find whoever- or whatever- it was that kept its eyes on them so constantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe could feel the hairs on the back of his neck start to raise as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, that is part of the lore. Just stick close. We know whatever it is isn't hostile, so there isn't really much reason for concern, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar nodded, seemingly quelled by the reassurance. He flashed Ashe a toothy grin and popped up a thumbs up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. You're right. Thanks for the pep talk, buddy!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honestly, Ashe was saying it more for himself than Caspar. He was utterly terrified of ghosts, and this case practically screamed </span>
  <em>
    <span>specter</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Still, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>the voice of reason and knew he could feed off of Caspar's confidence once he stoked it. It was a common trade between the two. Ashe would assure Caspar of their safety, Caspar would perk up and exude determination, and Ashe would let that in turn soothe his singed nerves. They worked well together in that regard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next few meters saw them pushing into even thicker bouts of fog. It swirled all around them like wisps of smoke. Ashe had instinctively shifted to walk closer to his companion, his hand resting on the brawler's forearm like it so often did on cases like this. He wasn't cowering, but he did need physical comfort to keep his head screwed on correctly on his shoulders. Eventually the fog got so thick he was having a difficult time seeing Caspar's head in it. It smelled like dandelions, oddly enough. He raised his free hand up to test visibility. He could only see his elbow clearly. The rest was pretty well shrouded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then, just like that, the fog appeared to be sucked back into the trees around them, disappearing even quicker than it had pounced upon them. But they weren't at the edge of the woods. They were still very much in the throng of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two explorers cast one another a glance before speeding up their pace inwards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trees were thicker than before. Vines grew on them with flowers blooming in varying intervals. Moss clung to the ground and stones along the floor like a fuzzy carpet. He noticed colorful grubs wriggling around in the rich soil at the base of the tree trunks. It was jarring how full of life the forest felt now that the fog had receded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trees suddenly gave way to reveal a massive clearing. They were apparently on higher ground than most of it, and were behind some kind of structure erected in the middle of the small hill. Ashe would have leapt at the opportunity to investigate the carvings on the pillars and blocks, but the sounds of a struggle caught his attention before he could divulge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could smell the pungent odor of dark magic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He need not even look to Caspar to know he was gearing up, and he himself withdrew his bow from his back and opened his quiver up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They circled around the strange structure and inched closer to the edge of the hill they were on. It cut off abruptly and dipped down onto a massive altar of sorts. It was all made of stone, and was surprisingly clean of weeds and moss. Near the center was a strange dias, but more importantly there were a handful of people clad in black robes and bird masks advancing on a green haired individual. Ashe wanted to wait for a few moments to gauge who they should help- even if it seemed obvious- but leave it to Caspar to rid him of that decision and make it for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue haired leapt off their little hill and stumbled down the steep, rocky tumble of bare earth that stood behind the green haired person. Ashe sighed and readied his bow, deciding to take no more time for the enemy to recover from the interruption by nailing one of them in the head with a well-aimed arrow. He quickly ducked down from the ledge to avoid a Miasma spell directed at his head, then crawled forward a few inches to try and look for his next opening. Caspar was already engaging them with his axe. Apparently he had felled one of the mages while he wasn't looking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Determined to back his friend up, he rose to his knees and fired off a few arrows in one of the mage's general directions. He wasn't looking to kill more than distract- and distract he did. He had to roll away to avoid another Miasma spell, but when he got back up to attack again, he took a blow to his left arm from a Banshee spell. The tendrils of the dark magic latched onto his skin and dragged him down to the ground, effectively immobilizing him for a moment. He struggled to knock another arrow, but between the clingy spell on his side and the damage from the initial attack, he wasn't able to shoot very far. The arrow landed along the stone platform harmlessly. Just as he was about to give up and try waiting out the spell, a white light erupted from the dark tentacles and purged it entirely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't have time to question it, as the moment he sat up he saw Caspar being surrounded by the last three remaining mages. He quickly loaded an arrow and fired. This downed the mage closest to him and gave Caspar the opening he needed to dodge the other two's assaults. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The archer quickly threw himself forward and skidded down the rock wall in order to get closer and potentially draw some of the fire from his friend. Now that he was at the same ground level as them, he could see the victim of the attack crouching near a strange crest in the wall where he otherwise would have overlooked him from above. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a male- most likely- and he had white aura glowing about his hands as he patched Caspar up from afar. He looked scared, of course, but he did not seem close to fleeing the fight anytime soon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe decided that would work for him and advanced towards the mages. They had been able to dodge most of Caspar's attacks until now, as they had gone purely on the defensive for a few beats. Ashe landed a blow into one of their shoulders before switching over to his short axe. He now stood next to Caspar, eyes analyzing the two mages before them carefully. They were healing each other, but only in turns. One had a strong looking dark spell readied while the other tended to their wounds. Caspar was inching closer to them, axe gripped in one hand tightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two stepped back in rhythm, keeping the distance between them even. It wasn't until a powerful gust of wind soared over their heads and collided with the left mage that the pattern shattered. The enemy was tossed back onto his back, apparently knocked out from the attack. The remaining foe looked between the two of them and likely the man a ways behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, it seems the person they were saving was a mage of sorts himself. He could ask questions later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar had just begun increasing his pace into a jog when the final mage fished something from his robes and clutched it close to his chest. He gurgled some form of cry before dark tendrils shot out from between his fingers and began slashing and swiping over his body. Caspar skidded to a halt and back pedalled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A demonic beast began taking shape before them, its wicked talons crushing the body of its unconscious ally into a gruesome smear of organs and blood. Ashe thought he heard someone gag, but he didn't have the time to ponder it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The creature snapped its grotesque head up as it howled. Its eyes gleamed red and an eerie light beamed out from its brow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe and Caspar backed up some more to put more space between them. A magical barrier appeared about the monster before fading into translucency. It took sight of the two of them and leapt backwards off the stone altar. They had moved closer to the edge during the fight, and now it stood on earthy soil. It reared its head and out blasted massive globs of violet miasma- which took both boys ample energy and effort to sprint away from. Droplets from the splash landed on the back of Ashe's coat and boots, and he could hear the sizzling it induced from its apparent acidity. As it recoiled from its attack, Ashe rushed to knock and arrow and fire it towards the side closest to Caspar. It managed to crack the barrier, and when his friend stormed over to crash through it, he found it much easier to bust through and tear a hole in its defenses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The beast jostled from the impact, dazed a little. Ashe urged his legs to carry him closer. He managed two arrows into another side of the beast before it snapped from its daze and twirled around with uncanny agility. Its tail smacked into Caspar's axe, which was raised up as a makeshift shield from the blow. He was only shoved back about a meter, luckily. The two fighters closed in on it again and tore apart another side of its barrier. It staggered once more, and Caspar took the opportunity to utterly shred its flank with a smash of his axe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The beast was getting desperate. It wrenched a blood curdling howl from its gut and charged forward. Caspar narrowly avoided being trampled, though Ashe got caught by its thrashing tail. His minimal armor meant the blow scored pretty deep, cutting across from his right shoulder to the center of his chest. He was sent reeling from the whip. Apparently the tail was hard enough to cut flesh despite being blunt when moving fast enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe snapped out of his daze upon the realisation that the monster was now between them and the man they were trying to protect. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew Caspar must have noticed, since they were both sprinting as hard as they could back over to the hiding magic user. The beast was snarling as fire spells bounced off the still in tact parts of its barrier, dark blood oozing from its wounds freely. Ashe steeled himself and ducked under one of its front legs to emerge in front of it. He spun on his heel once in range and hurled his short axe up towards its head. It was a hasty throw and ended up embedding itself in its shoulder, but he took what he could get. The barrier around it shattered entirely as Caspar closed in enough to smash the remaining portions of the shield. The enemy screeched in agony and collapsed to the stone, heaving out wet pants as it began recovering its whereabouts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe took the moment to cast a look over his shoulder at their ally. He was rattled, obviously, and looked much more weary than before, but he did not appear to have any injuries. Good. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned back around to see Caspar yank his axe out of the beast's side after a particularly nasty slash. It was rising to its legs again, a desperate saunter adopted as it surely reached its final straws. Caspar ducked down as it flung its tail around to bat him away. He retreated back to Ashe's side and rolled his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The barrier is down, but it seems a lot nimbler now."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe figured. Monsters like these always seemed capable of reading your movements and sneaking in a preemptive blow before you can carry out your own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite that, Ashe raised his bow again and knocked one of his last arrows. Caspar stepped in front of him to block a smaller lob of miasma with the blunt edge of his axe. Ashe fired over his shoulder and landed it in the beast's cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was just reading his final arrow when the monster groaned and leapt backwards. He recognized the convulsions in its neck and began to back away- it was readying a full blown poison attack again. But the angle it lifted its jaw- surely it knew it would far overshoot them like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It dawned on him a moment too late, and he watched in shock as Caspar doubled back behind him and hauled ass towards their ally. Ashe could only stand and despair as the glob of miasma flung narrowly over his own head towards their green haired ally. Caspar swung himself around at the last second, axe raised to defend himself the best he could as the attack made contact with him. He was just a single short meter in front of the magic user, but it was far enough to protect him from the majority of the blow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe knew he couldn't take on the beast on his own if this downed Caspar, so he wasted no time in returning his attention to the fight and letting loose his final arrow. It plunged into one of the monster's beady eyes with a sickening </span>
  <em>
    <span>thunk.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It had been unable to dodge due to recoil, and ultimately collapsed from its own weight after the decisive blow. He begged his body to race over, where he yanked the short axe from its shoulder and used the weight of his body to bring it back down into the monster's twitching skull. Dark fluids spattered all over his front and the stone around him, though the mess was pretty far from his mind at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He made sure it began to recede back into the broken body of the mage before turning tail to stumble back over to his friend's side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sight he was greeted with on his journey only hastened his step. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar laid on the rock of the altar below them, his armor and robes on his chest already eaten away by the vicious ooze. The smell of rotting, burnt skin hit Ashe's nose, and with it came a gripping sense of dread. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar wasn't moving. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man they worked so hard to protect had Caspar's head in his lap. When Ashe drew closer, he noticed his skin was very pale and his ears seemed pointier than normal. The tips of his hair were a lighter shade of green, but not from any kind of dye he had seen before. Half of Ashe wanted to yell at him for endangering his friend, for not retreating from the fight before they were forced to be rash with their defences. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he almost got his first reprimand out- but the white magic that freed him of the Banshee spell appeared once again to stop the acid's pace of eating his dear friend's flesh alive. Ashe staggered to a halt next to them and knelt down on Caspar's other side. He gripped onto the brawler's hand tightly, relieved to feel a pulse between his fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All he could do was stare on in befuddled shock as the white magic from the stranger poured out into Caspar's wounds and regenerated his lost muscle and skin tissue. It was a horrid sight, of course, but Ashe couldn't bring himself to look away. Threads of skin wove together above taut, red muscles. White slivers disappeared under fresh new sheets of epidermis. He's never seen such powerful healing magic before- not even from Marianne. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar stirred a little, eyes crinkling. The hand of their strange company was still hovering over his chest, giving off wave after wave of potent white magic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It smelled just like the fog had. Like dandelions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon the aura receded and the other waited patiently for Caspar to wake. And wake he did. He opened his eyes wide, a hand shooting up to feel his own chest. The cloth and metal was still gone, but his body itself was obviously perfectly fine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat up, nearly bonking heads with the stranger, and scooted back over closer to Ashe. The two men exchanged a look- relief and concern- before turning their attention back to the strange person before them. He looked back at them calmly, though he seemed plenty aware of the mixed feelings they were harboring. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>".... Are you the one that keeps people out of this forest?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar was asking this, though Ashe had been thinking it for some time now. It all seemed way too coincidental to be a chance meeting. He'd even go as far to say that the being before them had allowed them in specifically to help him. A bold choice, but it worked out in the end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The green haired nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. This is my home, even if not by choice. I don't take kindly to visitors."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, he speaks as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you attacked like that often? Or were you just as surprised they were here as we were?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other sighed and fiddled with the end of some of his hair that was folded over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"They come frequently to ensure I'm not sneaking out, though they have never attacked me before."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, if he was not here by choice, and they were making sure he wasn't getting out, they must be his captors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did you only let us in in hopes we would save you from them?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The being nodded to Ashe in response. He didn't seem even </span>
  <em>
    <span>somewhat</span>
  </em>
  <span> ashamed to admit it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I didn't have any other choice than roll over and die."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he wasn't immortal?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar scooted a little closer, a curious look in his eye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You… healed me, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other nodded again, though this time he seemed a little more apologetic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. It's only polite, given you took that blow for my sorry sake. Truthfully, I did not expect them to stoop to such horrifying lows."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar smiled a little. Whatever he was thinking couldn't be good. Ashe knows that stupid smile anywhere- that he had a very </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>stupid </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>to say, and he was absolutely giddy to say it. Ashe tried to pull him back to stop him, but that did not halt his blathering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That was super cool of you! You must be pretty good with healing magic! We could totally use someone like you in our-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Caspar.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe yanked his arm with utter exasperation. Why was it Caspar was so dead set on recruiting anything and everything they found for their quest? He did this with </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>they met. Not even Duke Riegan himself was safe from Caspar's thoughtless offers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar simply waved off Ashe's frustration and pushed again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're really cool, dude! We can bust you outta here if you'd like. Then, once you're out, you can hang with us for a while until we're sure they won't take you back again!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The third man stared at Caspar for a while. When he had earlier mentioned recruitment, he had an expression of unbridled annoyance and disgust. But at the prospect of leaving, he easily changed his tune. Ashe wasn't sure he liked this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hmmm…. You drive a hard bargain, Caspar."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue haired perked up, a frown overtaking his earlier grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How do you know my name?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man gestured over to Ashe with a lazy flick of the wrist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He just called you that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh. Yeah."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence befell the three for a second before Caspar broke it once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, what's your name??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The stranger tilted his head in thought. He was pondering that question a lot more than he should be. It unnerved Ashe a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mm… Linhardt. I think."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You..think?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Linhardt" nodded, flicking his eyes over to the archer with faint amusement. "It's been a while since I've needed a name. I haven't heard anyone call me it in…a long time. Anyways," he raised a hand, gesturing to Ashe, "what is yours?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn't sure if he should tell this person his name. Sure, he acted harmless enough, but he obviously had potent magical abilities. He was able to tear through a fellow magic user with a single spell like butter. Not many could claim such prowess. But, then again, this capable stranger </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>healed Caspar of some nasty wounds and </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>given them some semblance of backup during the fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My name is Ashe. Um," he shifted off his calves and instead circled his legs around to cross them below him, "we are spelunkers of sorts. We investigate folklore and the like. I can imagine you know why we came here, of course."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt raised an eyebrow. "Hm? So you're…mythbusters, in a sense. That would explain why you'd bother leaping into a fight right after very nearly being whisked away."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar leaned forward on his hands, the utter energy bouncing off of him only caused their company to lighten even further with amusement. "So, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one that causes all the fog and stuff! I knew it! You're way too cool looking to be human anyways."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe did everything he could not to exhale his very soul in that moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Cool? Hah. I thought I didn't look </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> much different than you." Caspar gestured to his own ears, then pointed over to Linhardt's with such enthusiasm you'd think he had just solved a murder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With one smooth pass of his hand, Linhardt rounded the tips of his ears. Both adventurers gawked at the sight of the extremities shrinking and shifting before their very eyes. "Is this better?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh," Ashe found his voice after a moment, nodding slowly as he continued to stare at the side of the other's face, "yes…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"For people claiming to make a living in such a supernatural line of work, you two seem awfully impressed by a little display of shape shifting."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Ashe and Caspar flushed a little from the tease, as it was a reasonable observation to voice. The blue haired scratched at the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, most of the things we find aren't as friendly as you are."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt hummed and turned his attention to Ashe. He glanced down at the archer's chest for a moment and recoiled at what he saw. When given a confused look, he simply waved at Ashe's shoulder and averted his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That's right, he did recall getting glanced by the monster's tail near the end of the fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah, that. I'm fine, rea-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hush."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt glided his fingers through the air as he began patching the wound up despite the fact that his eyes were currently screwed shut. It felt odd, like his muscles were being pulled by invisible strings. Caspar was observing with poorly contained awe. The wound was gone within moments, and with it the dried blood around the site of impact dissolved into the air. Even the demonic beast's blood was erased from his skin and tunic. Linhardt only opened his eyes after he was sure all of the bodily traces were gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ugh. I absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>abhor </span>
  </em>
  <span>the sight of blood. It's revolting and offensive at best."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe ran his hand over where the gash used to be, entranced by how soft the new flesh felt under the pads of his fingers. He noticed the burns from the Banshee spell had been healed as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That was...amazing. Thank you, Linhardt!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly this strange being they had rescued from some strange cult didn't feel as, well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>strange </span>
  </em>
  <span>as he initially thought. Sure, he was absolutely abnormal, weird even, but he obviously had a kind heart. His motives weren't that hard to figure out. And Ashe only liked assigning the word "strange" to unfortunate things he couldn't wrap his head around. Linhardt felt just as human as the man kneeling right next to him, even in spite of his obviously supernatural origins.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is it rude to ask what you are? Or do we gotta become better friends first?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leave it to Caspar to leap straight to the point. Linhardt considered the question by thumbing some of his verdant locks. He almost looked confused with how he frowned down into his lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, I may ask that you wait for the simple fact that I need to know the answer to that question as well. It's not like I'm born with a detailed and ever convenient instruction manual."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe cocked his head slightly. "You don't know what you are?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's what I just said, was it not?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe flushed a little- this time from frustration more than embarrassment- and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, yes, but I was just making sure!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Maybe we can ask those masked guys when we beat them up next time! Like, when we get you out of here! They're the ones locking you up here, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes…" Linhardt nodded slowly, eyelids drooping a little, "I believe so… they have lingered here as long as I can remember."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, all we gotta do is get some answers outta them, then bust you out! Do you know where they stay around here?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mm…" Caspar wilted a little as the strange magic user began laying down in the middle of the conversation. He tucked his arm under his head for cushioning and curled up into himself under his robes. "Maybe….but….maybe later…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just like that, he was asleep. The questions just keep piling up with this case. Ashe glanced over to Caspar, only to see him already staring in his direction worriedly. In a wordless exchange of a few expressions, they decided to let their newfound companion rest while they retrieved the rest of their belongings. Ashe left Caspar in charge of keeping watch over Linhardt while he went back for the horse and bags. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hopefully when the strange man wakes up they can get a few more answers out of him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Glue that Binds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Caspar startled from his light dozing when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He whipped around to see who it was, and was met with the drowsy blue eyes of their new friend. He gave him an odd look and tightened his grip on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where is Ashe?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar blinked a few times and scanned their surroundings with a few tilts of his chin. It had still been light out when Ashe left to grab their horse and belongings. It was now just barely past the cusp of dusk. A slight panic welled up in him and he urged Linhardt to release his shoulder. However, to his slight shock, he did not relinquish his grip and kept him firmly planted in place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where did he go, Caspar."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue haired struggled against his grip for another second before giving up and leaning closer to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He left to get our horse and bags right after you went to sleep. He should be back by now, especially since you aren't messing with him anymore- r-right??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt studied him for a few moments. He didn't seem very pleased, but it looked a bit too introspective for it to be at the inconvenience. He released his grip and stood up from his spot, brushing off his robes a little as he moved closer to the center of the altar. Caspar scrambled up to follow him, his hand having pulled his axe out as a form of habit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll need to scan the forest to see where he went off to before jumping to any conclusions."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he stepped into the innermost blocks of stone, his magic started to pour out from his body- not unlike when he had healed the other men a few hours prior. It shot out in all directions, some wisps lingering longer than others. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Caspar stood at a small distance, caught between wanting to stick close for safety and giving the other space to do his work effectively. He watched as Linhardt slowly turned in circles, eyes scanning the edge of the forest and beyond. When he had passed his unfocused gaze over Caspar, the brawler couldn't help but shiver. He thought he could physically feel Linhardt's gaze pierce right through him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mage had nearly made a full circle before stopping his pivoting. He raised both of his arms in the direction he was facing and pushed his magic further in that direction. Caspar noticed when he did this that his features morphed a little. His ears began to extend again, and the tips of his fingers began to blossom with minty green hues. Once he ceased his searching and withdrew his energy, his appearance reverted back to human and he exhaled a shaky breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I… found him." Considering the direction he was facing was the opposite that Ashe had left in, Caspar knew the news couldn't be that good. "He is luckily still in the forest. Otherwise I would not have been able to locate him. We must hurry."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why is he-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar." Linhardt turned his eyes over to the other, his expression revealing the grief that was otherwise only trapped in his voice until now. "I will explain- and apologise- later. Please come with me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar searched his face for a few moments. He wanted to demand that his ally tell him what was so urgent about things, and why Ashe had not come back. Apparently Linhardt understood everything about the situation and Caspar </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated </span>
  </em>
  <span>not knowing. Especially when it was his best friend's safety that was in danger at the moment, if the grimace on Linhardt's face was anything to judge by. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"....Okay."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar followed closely as Linhardt began to jog towards the far tree line. There was a small patch of woods in the southern portion of the clearing, but they veered around it to stay on the path. Once they reentered the forest, though, they kept a beeline straight path. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without the fog closing in on them, the forest felt oddly inviting. The colors weren't muted and the moonlight from above cast gentle shadows into the bushes around them. In the growing darkness, Caspar noticed that Linhardt glowed a little. It was faint, and it was solely due to the night's shade that he could notice, but it was undeniable when they passed under particularly thick portions of the canopy. It was soothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cricket song died down the further they went. Caspar tried to recall the map Ashe had studied on their initial trek of the woods. Wasn't the clearing in the middle of the Sealed Forest? Maybe it wasn't solely Linhardt's magic that made the whole place stretch out forever. That thought wasn't so soothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As silence crept up around them, Caspar gripped the handle of his axe a little tighter. He wished he had his gauntlets with him. They were quicker, lighter, and overall a better match for taking on multiple enemies at once. Especially mages. He could always rush in unarmed and take on the enemy with his fists alone, but that always proved less effective than just sucking it up and swinging his axe around. Just as he was beginning to consider the logistics of holding really sharp sticks between his fingers and punching people with his hands that way, Linhardt came to a halt in front of him. He bumped into his back, snapped from his reverie in a split second. He didn't see anything, but then again it was very dark in this neck of the woods. Linhardt, on the other hand, was basically bristling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other reached back and took hold of Caspar's arm, pulling him down as he himself knelt down onto his knees. They crouched there for a moment, and Linhardt's hand slowly travelled up to hold the side of Caspar's face. The blue haired would have voiced some concern over the odd motion, but after a second the forest began to light up bit by bit. He could see further now, even if not by much, but it was enough to glimpse some figures in the bushes about ten meters away from them. He saw the gentle glow of dark magic, and suddenly understood why it was that Linhardt had touched him so oddly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The green haired tilted his head to lock eyes with Caspar. He stared for a moment, wilted a little, and shook his head. He mouthed the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>"stay"</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him and retracted his hold. As soon as his skin left contact, the shadows sprung back forward and concealed the scene from mortal eyes once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar followed him with his hand for a beat, but the firm look that Linhardt gave him stopped him in his tracks. He hadn't seen Ashe in that little glimpse, nor any sign that he may be over there. All he had to trust was Linhardt, someone he just met today. Someone that wasn't even human, and had apparently warranted the right to be locked away in a forest by someone out in the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And yet. This was Ashe they were talking about. He couldn't bear the thought of acting rashly and getting him hurt- or worse. As much as he wanted to rush down their foes and cut them all down, he knew he was outnumbered and very likely outmatched. These mages were able to contain </span>
  <em>
    <span>Linhardt</span>
  </em>
  <span>, who, for whatever purpose, was quite obviously very powerful at least with healing magic. He couldn't brush them off nor underestimate them. Not now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, with every ounce of his heart filled with reluctancy and concern, he pulled back and dipped his head down a little. Linhardt nodded, thanking him with a gentle frown, and quietly strode into the shrubs before them. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Ashe slowly stirred from unconsciousness. His arm ached and his head pounded with every pump of blood his heart sent out. He could feel the unnatural crawling of dark magic across his skin, but between his headache and his general lack of energy, he couldn't muster the will to open his eyes and see what predicament he was in. He could hear the muttering of some men around him, likely the ones casting the dark spells, but otherwise it was utterly silent. He was on his back, probably, since he could feel pressure against his shoulders. The ground felt cold. He felt pretty cold, too, now that he thought about it. He felt pretty wet as well, all around his torso and sides. Overall, everything felt pretty gross. Someone bumped into his bad shoulder. He couldn't suppress his quiet groan from the pain that exploded through his torso. The muttering stopped. He felt his stomach drop at least ten feet past the dirt below him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard people shifting around, and before he could force himself to open his eyes and get his bearings, a strangled gasp was forced from his teeth at the sudden fire searing into his stomach. That was probably a knife, if he's ever felt one. And yes. He has felt knives before, on both ends of the blade. It had plunged all the way to the hilt, and in a flurry of panic, he attempted to wrest his arms up to pull it out- all just to find they were restrained to his sides by the familiar ropes of a Banshee spell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyelids swung open and his breathing picked up. They had struck pretty low on his belly, but that didn't stop him from finding it difficult to breathe. His mouth opened to aid him in drawing breath, but the most that did was awaken his taste buds and revive the tangy taste of blood in his mouth. He squinted his eyes, trying to see into the darkness around him to make out his attackers. He could see the person stabbing him, but no one else. Everything felt really hazy anyways. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man looked almost identical to the earlier foes they had faced. Dark robes, bird mask. The only difference this time was their mask was white. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah… you…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mage tilted his head towards Ashe for a moment before returning his attention to the wound he was inflicting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Quiet."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe, with budding panic, was aware that he was losing a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot </span>
  </em>
  <span>of blood. He felt wet because he was soaked with it. The trees were shaking above head. He almost wished they'd topple down and crush him- if for nothing but to get this done and over with quicker. He didn't want to die. Especially not like this. Tears sprung up in his eyes as he began to come to terms with his looming fate. He always figured he would die on one of their jobs like this. Even if he figured it would be at the hands of a demon and not a fellow human. And that Caspar would be right there next to him until the bitter end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hoped Caspar was alright.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sir. He has arrived."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Good."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The knife was suddenly pulled out of him and the presence by his side disappeared. He wasn't sure if he was happy or upset that he was now utterly alone. His mind was starting to slip, but an argument very close by yanked him back to listen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You were the one to break the deal, beast."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You attacked me first, idiot. Why would I not defend myself?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You had expended your usefulness. Letting you loose would be too dangerous for us."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't much care what is dangerous for you. Because right now, what you're doing over there is </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>dangerous for you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe winced as light twinkled between the gnarl of branches and leaves that blocked his view of the spat. He couldn't tell what kind of magic was being used by sight alone, but when he felt the familiar touch of white magic pulling his flesh together he understood immediately who it was that was confronting his captors. He really didn't want to be in debt to someone he barely knows like this, but…. He doesn't have much other choice in the matter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>can heal as much as you'd like. You know why we took him."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a pause. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dragging good men like him into his is low, even for you lot."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt sounded </span>
  <em>
    <span>pissed. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I could say the same for you, you animal."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe yelped as the heat of fire suddenly licked his leg. Magic erupted from a few feet away, and he struggled to not hurt himself against his restraints. Magic was being slung all over the place, and he just narrowly moved his head to the side to avoid a Mire spell to the face. He was basically a fish in a barrel swimming sideways at this point. Any and all wayward spells could easily take him out in his weakened state. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sick of being complacent!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe could feel the grip of the Banshee spell loosening as it began to wear off. He just had to luck out for a few more seconds and he could at least roll away to deeper cover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled with his left arm against the swathing tendrils, trying to expedite their release of his limbs. The mage from before staggered back into view, the dagger still clutched in his hand. It looked like the blood on it was fresh. He still heard fighting going on though, so he wasn't as concerned for Linhardt's safety in this moment as he was his own. The man looming over him knelt down, knees on either sides of Ashe's waist. He raised his knife up as runes began to circle around them. The Banshee spell was on its last threads, but Ashe still couldn't yank his hands out. The knife glimmered a deep violet as it plunged down. Ashe's arm broke free at the last second and clumsily collided with the oncoming strike. It redirected the attack from the center of his chest into the right side of his abdomen- square in the lung. It sunk deep and quick. Ashe struggled an agonised whimper from the blow. It wasn't exactly executed as intended, but it still got the job done. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>NO!!</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dark clouds poured out from under his body and twisted up around the two of them. The mage shakily pulled the dagger out and sheathed it quickly into his own chest. He gurgled a final incantation before keeling over to the side. Ashe could feel fluid running down his chest and neck. He could feel it spluttering past his lips and in his throat. The shadows that encased him grew infinitely darker as he lost consciousness. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>NO!</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar fought off his last remaining reservations on staying out. Linhardt was in trouble, and if the tone of his voice was anything to go off of, he knew Ashe had to be too. He shoved off his feet and hurdled through the bushes and seared tree trunks towards the fight. As he exploded from the thicket he found Linhardt strangling the last visible dark mage with his own two hands. He had burns and cuts and gashes littering him from nearly head to toe, but he had an overwhelming amount of fighting spirit. His head was turned toward a throng of bushes emanating an eerie black cloud, and without another moment of hesitation, Caspar lunged into the brush to hunt for the source. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he pushed aside the innermost fingers of bark he was met with a gut wrenchingly putrid sight. A mage was crumpled to the side, his hands still clasping onto the dagger embedded in his own chest. Ashe lay motionless beneath him, multiple deep wounds oozing blood at a slow pace. Runes he didn't understand floated around them, but Caspar couldn't care less about figuring out the magic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had to help Ashe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shoved the mage off of him and yanked the dagger out of his chest. He got to work cutting off some of his sleeves to press into the new wound in his dear friend's chest in a desperate attempt to stem the severe bleeding. Ashe would likely die of drowning before blood loss at this rate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ashe!! Ashe, c'mon!!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar could hear his words distantly, though he didn't really notice that he was actually talking. He was pulling his partner into his arms in a desperate attempt to remove him from the scene- as if that could help him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Except it could. Linhardt could save him- he, he had to be able to save him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar forced his way backwards out of the leafy coffin, breaking branches the whole way out. Once they were back in the open, he saw Linhardt doubled over, breathing very heavily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither of them looked too good right now. Why had he demanded Caspar not help????</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"L-Lin. Please…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last remaining mage in the area turned his head to look at the two. When he saw the state Ashe was in, his expression clouded in grief. He was still straddling the carcass of the mage he had just suffocated to death. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I… I ca..n't…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black smoke from earlier had begun to swirl around the man. It was visibly draining him of his energy, and in a panic Caspar finally pieced things together. The mage from earlier had obviously offered up his own life for something, but Caspar hadn't been sure what. Then the similar wounds on Ashe, and now the spell that was sucking the life out of Linhardt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were trying to kill him. And apparently they needed a sacrifice for that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt anger at first, anger for getting caught up in all of this. Anger at the people responsible. He was angry at Linhardt for getting them roped into this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they came here of their own choice. They defended Linhardt of their own accord. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was their fault, too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Linhardt. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tell me wh-what I can do!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt leaned back down, his weight on his hands and knees. He shook his head as his arms shook with strain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I… you…. it's… over…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar gritted his teeth and knelt down to lay Ashe onto the ground. He was horribly pale. In a panic, Caspar sunk beside him and placed his hands over the wound. He dug deep inside himself and pulled out the minute stores of magic his body had at the ready. They were small. They were pathetic. But it was his last hope. Gentle waves of white aura peeled from his fingertips and sought out the scores laying below them. They seemed to stop less than an inch away from the flesh and bend out away from it, as though something was preventing him from reaching the dying archer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hhyy</span>
  <em>
    <span>yyaaaaaa!!</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Caspar unleashed one of his signature battle cries as he funneled everything he had into the small puffs of magic he was trying to force into the wounds. He heard Linhardt gasp from his position just as the air around them vibrated intensely. A shattering noise nearly made Caspar lose focus, but he didn't have time to worry about anything but the man fading away below him. His healing finally reached the other and tugged a few sinews together, but otherwise it was powerless to do much. His shoulders dropped in despair as the last drops of his magic stores depleted and Ashe looked no less dying than he had when he had started. His vision clouded for a moment, and for a second he thought he saw his magic start up again. But after watching it scatter across Ashe's body and sew together flesh at record speed, he knew it wasn't possibly his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He whipped his head over to see Linhardt, now kneeling near Ashe's feet with a new aura of strength rolling off of him. The black smoke was retreating into the shrubs around them. Caspar had no idea what had changed, nor why Linhardt was suddenly able to do something about this when moments ago he claimed to be powerless. But he encouraged it anyways, a hand snaking under Ashe's head to lift it up a few inches. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched with amazement as the stab wounds sealed up and were cleaned of blood and gore. The gash in Ashe's forehead closed up and the multiple layers of caked blood along his chin and neck dissipated into nothing one inch at a time. Bruises faded, burns soothed and skin slowly returned to its natural color. Even after all of the outward problems were cared for and cleaned, Linhardt continued to press on. The light of his magic glowed in Ashe's chest cavity, likely taking extensive care to patch up everything on the inside just right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Several long minutes passed. Finally, Linhardt retracted his hands from where they had been hovering over the archer's chest. And, without a second to spare, he promptly flopped over and passed out. Caspar yelped as he went down, peering over Ashe's thigh to make sure Linhardt was still breathing. Which, he was, thankfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe was breathing now, too. It was quiet and shallow, but it was there. Caspar sat in silence for a few seconds as it all sunk in. The corpses of their enemies still soaked the dirt around them, but they were in relative peace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar bowed down closer to Ashe's head and rested their foreheads together. He listened intently to his breath. It struck him right in the heart to hear him. He crunched his eyelids closed tightly as relief belatedly washed over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe was going to be okay. He was alive, and he was okay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had nearly lost him. Damn nearly. Maybe Ashe's breathing had stopped at one point. Caspar didn't linger on that thought long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He needed to get them somewhere safer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't gonna be pretty, nor comfortable, but he had to make do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gently hefted Ashe over his shoulder, making sure his stomach was in no way compressed to hinder his respiration, all the while apologising fervently. Once he was sure Ashe was secure, he scooted over and began lifting Linhardt over his other shoulder. Linhardt was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>light, so this proved much easier than his partner had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were both settled, he struggled to his feet and began retracing his steps back to the clearing. Somewhere he could see people coming at them from a distance greater than ten feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trek was long and slow, but it wasn't anywhere near as long as the journey out had been. He figured the dark mages must have been why the forest felt so big on the inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He settled Linhardt down first on the stone pavement, as he was easier to handle single handedly, then got to work easing Ashe into a comfortable position to rest. Caspar shedded his upper cloak and gloves, folded them all into a messy bundle, and tucked them under his new friend's head to form a makeshift pillow. Linhardt at least deserved that much after working so hard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Caspar returned to Ashe's side, settled up next to him, and moved the archer's head into his lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After sitting in the quiet for a few minutes, the wind in the trees keeping his blank mind company, he jostled his hand from the ground to push Ashe's hair from his face. He looked so peaceful, as if he hadn't been on death's doorstep just a single hour ago. Caspar could straight up kiss him, he was so relieved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As time ticked on and the haze of adrenaline left his body, he began to ponder what had exactly just happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had all of this been premeditated? Most likely not by Linhardt, since he was very nearly killed by all of this as well, but by those strange mages. Had they known they were coming here? They weren't exactly secretive with their exploits or future expeditions. But why would they count on Linhardt letting them in like that if all they were going to do was kill the green haired had they not? What would they have gained by killing him with </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>magic over… whatever kind of magic they used in attacks? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And why had Linhardt made it seem like he couldn't heal Ashe the first time he asked? Was it because he couldn't? Or wouldn't? After all of this he doubted their new friend would outright refuse to help out when things were this desperate. But, if not then, why later? Did it have anything to do with that noise he heard? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jeez, this was a lot to think about. He was well beyond his quota for </span>
  <em>
    <span>thoughts in general</span>
  </em>
  <span> for the rest of the year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, instead of pulling a muscle in his brain by worrying over it too much, he planted an elbow on his knee, his cheek in his hand, and promptly tried to doze off. It took him a while to succeed, but the thing that helped him finally catch a wink was the gentle breathing of his life partner cradled against his thigh and hip. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The next time Ashe opened his eyes, he was met with a naked torso. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sothis?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait, no, he knew that chest and the scars engraved into it. He lifted his eyes minutely to see Caspar drooling into the palm of his hand, soundly asleep despite sitting up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was he dead, too?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe lifted a palm to brush over his chest. He blinked and tilted his head down from where it was nestled into Caspar's lap to double check what he was feeling. All of the blood from his earlier wounds were gone. He could breathe without difficulty, and that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>Caspar's arm circling around his lower stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few questions came to mind, first and foremost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why was he alive? Where were the mages? Where was Linhardt? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, also, why the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>was Caspar half naked??</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slowed down his thoughts and pressed a few fingers to his temple. Okay. He must be dead. Why else was there no trace of those nasty stab wounds? Or burns? Or magic? But if he was dead and Caspar was here, that would mean Caspar was dead too, which was totally not cool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In a sudden urge of fear, he reached up and poked Caspar's nose. The blue haired scrunched said extremity and snorted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the gods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Said brawler yelped awake, hand smearing saliva all across his cheek as he messily pulled it from his face. A red imprint quickly settled across his cheekbone from his hand, but the blue haired looked way more interested in the archer that was now staring up at him with confused shock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you dead, too??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Huh? No! Wait-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar barked a laugh and yanked Ashe up from under his arms to drag him into a typical, bone crushing Caspar hug. He was now very sure he was dead, as it did not hurt near as much as it should have had those injuries from before had any sway over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're awake!!!!! Ashe, I- I'm-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe was in an awkward position, half turned around and half still hanging off Caspar's leg. He decided to just roll with it and swivelled himself to embrace his friend head on. He ended up having to straddle the other man's thigh to hug him properly, but neither party cared enough to complain. Caspar was now very much so sobbing into his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of Linhardt sleeping behind him, his head propped up by Caspar's missing tunic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It finally hit him that he wasn't dead. Caspar was alive and squeezing the life out of him. Linhardt was asleep and pretty battered, but still breathing. And Ashe himself felt like nothing ever happened to him in the first place. His emotions boiled over and soon he was shaking in his best friend's grip, tears soaking the side of Caspar's hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He rubbed soothing patterns into the grappler's shoulders and back. Anything and everything to assure him he was okay. Judging by how emotionally wrecked Caspar was, he knew it had to have been a very narrow scrape. He felt guilty for causing him so much grief, but a small, selfish part of him relished the obvious concern and love his partner had to have for him to react in such a way. He found himself endlessly grateful that he ended up with someone so compassionate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry for worrying you…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't. You didn't do nothin' wrong."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar squeezed him gently before finally relinquishing his grip a little. He leaned back to stare up at the archer, and the smile he wore nearly blinded him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm just… so glad you're okay…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe nodded his agreement. He was glad he was okay, too. Was that conceited to think? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Caspar was looking at him with that much happiness, he allowed himself to believe it wasn't. His friend deserves this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You too. I was worried they had gotten you as well…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar shook his head and buried his face back into the crook of Ashe's neck. "Nah. I'm okay. Really okay." His cheeks still felt damp, but Ashe didn't mind. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>blushing a little, but he didn't mind that either. Both of them were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After their breathing settled back down and their tears dried, they parted and Ashe sat back on his thighs. He was still settled in Caspar's lap, which seemed to dawn on their minds in tandem as the moment quieted down. Ashe felt his cheeks heat up a little more and apologized under his breath, but Caspar didn't move his hands from the archer's sides. They sat there for a few seconds, both growing redder by the heartbeat. Ashe pieced together something to say to diffuse the energy in the air, but the words died in his throat when Caspar lunged foreward to smack a kiss onto Ashe's lips. They both yelped as their teeth knocked together through their lips and recoiled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Caspar could legally qualify as a tomato at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah- uh, sorry about that, I dunno what came over me!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He paused for a second as Ashe gawked at him. His eyebrows knitted together with growing frustration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A-Ashe?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe snapped from his stupor and quickly sputtered out a response. "Gah! Uh, it's fine! Really! I was just- well, you know- shocked! Kinda."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He swallowed a nonexistent glob of spit, throat having dried out pretty quickly from his nerves. They looked at each other for an awkward amount of time, neither quite sure how to go about things from here. Ashe finally ditched his inhibitions, assuring himself that Caspar had displayed first, and leaned forward to press their lips together again. It was short and not all that deep- a peck if anything- but he meant it. When he pulled away, he peeked expectantly up at the grappler that was now holding his waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another awkward silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Romance was never either of their strong suits, was it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Um."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar fumbled with his words for a few seconds, looking anywhere but at his partner's face. He must have had some epiphany, because soon he was facing him again with the most adorably determined expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That was cool."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Huh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cool?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe bent down a little, his poorly suppressed laughter beginning to rattle his frame. Caspar squawked indignantly. "H-Hey!!! That wasn't a joke!!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe patted his companion's shoulder and brushed their foreheads together to try and appease his concern while he tried to pull himself together. He was aware Caspar was romantically constipated but… dear </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sothis</span>
  </em>
  <span> that was bad. Cool??? You kiss your best friend in the world, and all you have to say is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that was cool</span>
  </em>
  <span>??</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"C-Caspar.." Ashe struggled to claim a steadying breath and trailed his hand from his partner's shoulder up to the back of his head. He could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>Caspar blushing under his touch. "That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> most </span>
  <em>
    <span>Caspar</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing I've heard you say in a long time."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar's tension melted away from the fond words. His smile returned. To Ashe, all felt right in the world. He tilted his head again and pressed in to kiss him, this time allowing them both a bit of time to grow accustomed to the feeling. Honestly, neither of them had any romantic exploits in their lives, not even from before they worked together. The closest they came was Ashe developing a crush on Sylvain and getting a peck on the cheek as the red head rode off into the sunset. Caspar hadn't even made it that far. Or perhaps he had, and it was all directed towards Ashe this whole time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That thought forced the archer away from his friend, his raging flush high on his nose. How conceited of him to think Caspar could have liked him for that long! It was even more silly than anything, as he was sure he would have noticed Caspar pining for him by now if he had. Maybe all of this was just post-near-death-experience hormones. The frantic thudding in his chest and the blooming warmth in his stomach and head begged to differ. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ashe?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He snapped from his spiralling thoughts and locked eyes with Caspar, who had calmed the raging storm of his face during his inner monologue. He still looked utterly lovestruck though, and that sent an arrow right through the archer's heart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue haired man below him trailed his eyes down to where his left hand was gently rubbing over Ashe's hip bone through his tunic. He took a deep breath and made eye contact again. "I think I've liked you for a while. I just… didn't realise until… until I nearly lost you. I didn't realise, y'know," he dipped his head a little, ears reddening with his confession, "that the reason I've always been so content to do anything and everything with you was because… well… cuzilikedyou."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe swallowed down a giggle and gently tilted Caspar's head back up with the hand still carded into his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, Caspar…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at him for a moment, then dove back in for another kiss. Their lips slotted together clumsily and their breaths found a rhythm after some trial and error. Ashe massaged the base of Caspar's neck, heart sent catapulting into the sun every time he drew a contented sigh from his partner. His body involuntarily shuddered when the blue haired would inch Ashe's waist closer to his own with powerful, steady hands. His pulse quickened in his ears when Caspar parted their lips to instead press adoring kisses into the bottom of his jaw and throat. Ashe absolutely melted from the careful attention, panting softly over Caspar's hair into the sky. He was pretty sure if this went on much longer that his heart would explode in his chest right then and there. However, before he had the chance to see if this was so, Caspar pulled off his neck and instead nuzzled his nose into the hood of his tunic that clumped up around his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They held each other for a while, buzzing with the newness of the contact. Ashe settled his cheek against the crown of Caspar's head, arms shifting to wrap about his partner's neck and shoulders loosely. Caspar smoothed a hand across Ashe's back slowly as they embraced. It was peaceful. He could get addicted to this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually Caspar admitted he had long lost feeling in his entire leg and Ashe hopped off of him to instead hunker down against his side. Ashe stared over Caspar's shoulder at their unconscious company as his dear friend drew circles in his own pant leg. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Linhardt healed me, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar tilted his head up to cast Ashe an odd look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Duh? Goddess knows I couldn't. I mean, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried </span>
  </em>
  <span>to, but…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe raised his eyebrows at the revelation. Caspar had indeed received a tiny crash course from Marianne in their stay at Derdriu, but Caspar had shown close to no potential of actually pulling off a spell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Said brawler flushed from the painfully endearing tone Ashe used and pointedly turned his head away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It didn't do much, but it got Linhardt to help. That's all that matters. That you're okay."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe pressed his lips to Caspar's temple. "Thanks for that. I bet it made all the difference~"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"N-not rea-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It did, actually."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both men jumped from the sudden interruption and whipped their heads around in unison to the green haired man currently beginning to heal his own wounds. He looked tired, but he didn't seem upset in the slightest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Linhardt! Sorry I didn't clean any of those up…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's fine. I don't really get infected anyways."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he sealed up the last of the gashes on his leg, the magic user straightened up and regarded the two softly. ".... I owe you two a lot more than I wish I did."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar shook his head and turned so he could face his friend. Ashe scooted over so he could get a clear view of the green haired as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You saved Ashe. That's all I could ask for, honestly."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He was only endangered because of me." Linhardt averted his eyes, a cloud of irritation forming in his features. "I let myself drag other people into my own problems, and it almost cost you your lives."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But it didn't! And we helped you of our own free will." Caspar insisted with his point by waving an arm around in the air. To signify what? Ashe wasn't quite sure, exactly. He never was with Caspar. "Besides, you would have been dead had we not come to help, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt stared down at his hands in his lap quietly for a few moments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. But I would have died by myself. How it should have been."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three let the words hang in the air for a moment. Ashe eventually spoke up. "But you didn't. We're all okay because of how things played out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar nodded his agreement energetically. "Right! Besides, you were in just as much danger as Ashe was for a second there. I dunno what you did, but you managed to pull yourself together enough to heal h-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>No. I </span>
  </em>
  <span>didn't." Linhardt shot his eyes up to Caspar. His voice was cold, but his eyes betrayed his inner guilt. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>are the reason we are all alive right now. I had no idea you could use white magic, and I'm sure they didn't think you could either. If they had known, they would have sealed your magic as well."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar slowly blinked. His magic wasn't even that strong, and it did next to nothing to heal Ashe! How did it have such an impact? Ashe shifted next to him. "Your magic was sealed? Was that why they… they stabbed themselves, too? Was it to seal your magic?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not… no. Not entirely. It was to seal </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of me." Linhardt sighed, one of his hands slipping up against his neck to massage it. "It was the only way they could make sure I wouldn't interfere with their plans, even when they withdrew all of their guards from this place. They have, um, </span>
  <em>
    <span>unique </span>
  </em>
  <span>blood far different from your own. They needed a normal human sacrifice on top of one of their own to summon enough power to effectively seal me away." Ashe shuddered at the confirmation that yes, he indeed was very nearly sacrificed in a dark ritual. Check that off the bucket list. "It required both bodies to be untouched by white magic once the process began… and the initial spell itself is what silenced all of my magic. Hence why I…" he glanced down at his hands. He apparently decided not to continue that thought and pressed on. "I may have lied to you when I told you I was trapped here. It is true now, but it was not when it initially started."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both of the men perked up from the revelation, if not from relevance but of curiosity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I… originally journeyed here many, many years ago after a particularly nasty war. I sought out somewhere peaceful to sleep. Somewhere that pesky humans and Nabateans alike would not bother me in my slumber. Everywhere I went, they always found me and tried to push their burdens onto me. Eventually these people found my struggle and offered a place for me to rest. They promised no one would bother me until I had slept my fill. I was foolish, desperate even. I did not search for the strings attached and accepted their offer. I slumbered here for a long time- I...do not know how long. When I awoke, descendants of the people that promised my sanctuary turned my haven into a prison. I tried to escape, as I was curious about how the world fared during my respite." He frowned gently. "I see now that all that time they were likely drawing from my energy for their own agenda. Once I had woken up, that energy supply became far less fruitful. They bore through my lack of cooperation, but I'm sure they had grown just as tired of the ordeal as I had. They likely sent some of their own to eliminate me from the field entirely. That… that's where you two came in."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe fumbled with the drawstrings of his hood as he took it all in. It was a lot to unpack, but when he took a step back from it all and saw it as one big timeline, it made sense to him. One thing that piqued his curiosity, however, was the time frame. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"War… you mentioned you fought in a war. There have been a few scattered throughout history, but nothing seriously major for a really long time."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt hummed. "Well… I fought for a Nabatean named Seiros. Ah, but I suppose </span>
  <em>
    <span>fight </span>
  </em>
  <span>is a pretty generous term. I mostly hung back and healed her allies."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe was staring wide eyed at the man before them. He knew Caspar must be just as shocked, if the stiffness in the shoulder next to him was any indicator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You… fought in the legendary war against the King of Liberation, Nemesis??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt narrowed his eyes, seemingly off put by their reactions. "Legendary is a strong word… and I wouldn't go so far as to call him that. He was being used, just like the rest of those </span>
  <em>
    <span>elites </span>
  </em>
  <span>he had wound around his finger. It was a pity, really, even if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>do some simply damnable things. He was but a man caught up in a feud between monsters."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar slowly shook his head, visibly perplexed by all of the information being offered up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh… that… wow… so you're really old then, huh??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt blinked. Ashe gasped and nudged Caspar's ribs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can't just say things like that, Caspar!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What? But he is! That war was over a thousand years ago, Ashe!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Goddess Caspar, you can't just declare to someone's face that they're old!!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But Linhardt was the one curious about it, wasn't he??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Perhaps, but-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe startled from the squabble when aforementioned mage rose to his feet and slowly made his way to the tree line. Once over dirt, he dutifully emptied his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah- uh- L-Linhardt??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other two found their feet to stumbled after him, growing concerned with the seemingly immortal being being able to regurgitate much of anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He waved the two off mid retch. He was leaning against a birch tree, bent over like he had just ran a marathon. Eventually he straightened up, cleaned his face, and turned back to the two. He was a bit paler than before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You…you said… a thousand… years…??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe slowly nodded, his heart hurting for his new friend. He hadn't realised how hefty of a revelation that may have been. Of course it would be. Even for an immortal creature, a thousand years is a long time. Probably. Judging by how shaken Linhardt was, Ashe could only assume so.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A thousand….years…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He echoed himself, eyes searching the ground for some form of answer. Caspar took a step closer to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did they really never tell you? That's cruel, even for them…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt eventually shook his head and pushed his hair back behind his ear. He looked dreadfully exhausted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's fine. I'm not exactly on a time table. I just… that's…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stepped around the two and returned to the altar. Ashe and Caspar followed closely, seeing as the poor guy was swaying on his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Huh." He finished his thought lamely and plopped back down to the ground. He cradled his chin in his hands and planted each elbow in its respective thigh. Ashe knelt down by his side and rested a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He felt so light to the touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well… you're free now, right? You can go and see everything!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar hunkered down in front of the other man and absolutely beamed. He was in a weird squatting position with his arms folded on his knees. Something unapologetically Caspar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can come with us!! If not for, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanting to</span>
  </em>
  <span>, exactly, you can consider it aaaaas, uh, paying? back? your? debt?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe sighed. There was no room for subtlety with Caspar nearby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"With you, huh."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt stared at Caspar for a few moments, face void of much other than his apparent weariness. His head nodded every few seconds as he fought off his sleepiness. Ashe glanced between Caspar and Linhardt, watching the staredown with hopeful eyes. After a handful of sluggish minutes, Linhardt heaved a haggard groan and slumped his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"....Fine. I'll go with you two."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both of the other boys leapt to their feet from the promise and slapped together a high five between them in something that could only be described as practiced synchronization. Ashe laughed brightly as his joy rebounded off his partner tenfold. It had been a while since they had another travel companion- he was absolutely ecstatic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"AaaaaaLRIGHT!!!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar punched into the air with his free fist and probably broke his face from just how wide his grin was. Their jubilee was not ignored, Ashe noticed, when he saw Linhardt cover his mouth to conceal his bubbling mirth. Between the celebrating grappler by his side and the sleepy but amused mage before them, Ashe allowed himself to indulge in the sunny atmosphere. It felt good to be this happy. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Cubed Honey and Old Coins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Linhardt's first glimpse into human society since falling asleep goes better than planned.<br/>But with familiar sights comes the inevitable resurgance of buried memories and faces.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Haha I am back once again, revived by the Cashephardt gods themselves. I hope to continue this once again after my gross hiatus. Yahoo!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"I can't believe you could cast a healing spell but couldn't manage to summon even a </span>
  <em>
    <span>spark </span>
  </em>
  <span>of fire!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't </span>
  <em>
    <span>choose </span>
  </em>
  <span>when to be useless, Ashe!! It's just show biz."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar, that is the most ridiculous notion I have heard in months."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Seriously?? I gotta up my game then!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar would have punched the air if he had a free hand. But he was currently giving Linhardt a piggy back ride as they made their way to where their horse was parked. Ashe assured the creature wasn't in any danger, as he had been barely in the treeline when he was initially jumped. That didn't make Caspar feel any less guilty about not saving him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By some miracle of the goddess, the horse was still right where they left it. It was drinking water from the river at the current moment, and flicked a long fuzzy ear as they approached. Ashe checked over the creature for a moment to verify it truly had not been tampered with in their absence, which left Caspar to pick his ways across the stones in the shallows of the river to attempt to reach the other side. Linhardt may be light, but he still weighs something, and without being able to use his arms for balance, the task dragged out longer than usual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Much longer than usual. Because Caspar's boot lost its purchase on a particularly slippery rock and flung himself and Linhardt straight into the current. Caspar instinctively released Linhardt's legs and rolled away from where the mage had been submerged behind him. Last thing he wanted was to flail and accidentally punch the guy! When he resurfaced, the first thing he registered was the distinct sound of Ashe laughing. At him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rude. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wiped the water out of his eyes and tossed a flushed glare at his partner who had taken a tauntingly large amount of time to idle from his task just so he could express his amusement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't get to pout for long- a great gust of wind erupted from right next to him and a flurry of green soared over his head and onto dry land near the horse. Linhardt was absolutely soaked, and looked very unpleased from his rude awakening. He turned to face the river- to face Caspar- and settle him with a grouchy frown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What, pray tell, the fuck was that?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar's expression of surprise morphed into a sheepish smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Heh… sorry Linny. I slipped and we fell."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Linny-- </span>
  </em>
  <span>ugh, whatever."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt squeezed his eyes shut as wind magic whirled to life around him. Fingers of water shot out of his clothes and hair, drying out his outfit and body bit by bit. Caspar had to shield his eyes from the onslaught of river spray being- most likely deliberately- aimed at him. All things considered, he found himself chuckling at Linhardt's aggravated posture and actions. He couldn't help being reminded of a cat that slipped into a water trough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar dragged himself out of the river while Linhardt wrung out the last remains of excess water from his hair. His magic had rid of most of it, but he was not dry in any sense of the word. In a flash of mischief, Caspar held his arms out and crept up towards the green haired with as innocent of an expression he could summon on his face. Linhardt caught on quickly and backed up to match his pace, a hand still tangled in his mane. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh. No. Keep your soggy mitts away from me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar only doubled his efforts from the delightful reaction and lunged towards the retreating mage. Linhardt yelped as he was crashed into, and the two nearly toppled to the ground just like that. Luckily enough, Caspar had every intention of this situation and pressed one of his legs forward around Linhard to halt their momentum. They teetered for a moment before they righted, Linhardt pressed very squarely against Caspar's very sopping tunic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're insufferable."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe led the horse beside them and elbowed Caspar in the shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Let the poor guy go, Caspar? You don't want him deciding to ditch us, do you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had to admit that idea was less than pleasant; so he relinquished his hold on their new companion, stepped back a step, and vigorously shook his head from side to side. Both of his friends startled from the sudden drops of water being flung at them, but the absolutely beaming grin he gave them both when he deemed his hair dry enough seemed to quell their complaints. His hair was flipped up this way and that, and part of his bangs had somehow ended up parted down the wrong direction. He figured he probably looked ridiculous- but that was one of his charms. And it works, evidently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt grumbled under his breath and mounted Ashe's horse without so much as asking. The archer did not look surprised, and was likely going to offer the ride to him anyways. It's better than Caspar lugging him around and falling down a ravine in the next couple of miles, after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When bags were secured and Caspar's robes were tied around his waist, the trio set off down their impromptu path to exit the forest. An easy conversation flowed between the two on foot, filling the otherwise relative silence. When they neared the edge, Caspar thought he saw Linhardt pull something from a tree, but dismissed it as his lanky body getting caught in the branches. The dude was </span>
  <em>
    <span>tall, </span>
  </em>
  <span>okay?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those thoughts were left far behind as they emerged from the shrubbery. The sun was about a quarter through the sky, though dark clouds on the horizon whispered promise of a storm by day's end. Caspar shivered as the unhindered breeze of autumn nipped at his bare, damp chest. Now he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>regretting his decision to not ask Linhardt to dry him off, too. The lucky bastard had lit a small fire in his hands to warm himself too! That </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be a personal attack to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe glanced back at Caspar over his shoulder. He must have heard his grunts of discomfort, and pieced things together himself. The blue haired watched in confusion as Ashe, without halting his forward movement, unlatched his chest plate and shoulder pads. He deposited them into the saddle bag located by Linhardt's foot and began unbuttoning his coat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait, Ashe, I'm fine! Really!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't look fine."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe had that look. The one a mom friend gives their idiotic younger son friend. The one that says "nothing you can say will dissuade me from helping your sorry ass". Yeah, Caspar was very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>familiar with that one. It was basically second to his name in regards to how often someone would refer to him with it. Mostly Ashe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost always Ashe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar begrudgingly accepted the outstretched cloak from his partner and began to tug it on. It was a little difficult given it was a little small and he was still not quite dry, but it fit enough to cover his back and shoulders. He could never dream of buttoning it dry, so he didn't bother attempting to close it up. He noticed Ashe staring for a moment before turning sharply around to keep his eyes in front of him. Something about the reaction made Caspar feel funny. He couldn't help recalling the time the two of them spent together before Linhardt had woken up. The dripping grappler flushed from the memory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt eyes on him and glanced up, meeting gazes with Linhardt just a few paces ahead of him on the horse. He had a blank look on his face, but his eyebrows were raised in interest. Caspar wasn't sure what to make of that. Luckily he didn't need to, as Linhardt turned back around in his saddle and returned to staring out at the scenery around them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Things were really gonna be weird from now on, huh?</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When the trio reached the town they had left from, Ashe helped Linhardt dismount and guided his horse over to the community stables to drop it off. The town was fairly large due to being so near to Garreg Mach, so it had quite a few more amenities than your average settlement. Caspar took the opportunity to show Linhardt a few of the shops in the market. Between Linhardt's clearly foreign garb and Caspar's odd shirt situation, the two garnered quite a few looks from customers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the duo were no strangers to these streets. The merchants knew them, and expected as much from such an odd pair of ducks. Caspar waved down the town smithy and gestured towards Linhardt to introduce him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mage had been reminiscing on what little he could recall from his time before the war. The shops didn't look all that different than they do now- though the craftsmanship had obviously improved substantially. He was jostled from his thoughts by Caspar poking his arm. He must be expecting some form of response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hm?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue haired pouted faintly and repeated his question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I </span>
  <em>
    <span>said…</span>
  </em>
  <span> did you want me to get you anything? A sword? Lance?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt suppressed the urge to wrinkle his nose. Weapons are so dull. Even if they're prettier now, they likely are just as barbaric. If how Caspar handles his axe is anything to go by, then he knows that fact hasn't changed over a millennium.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm good, thank you. I don't really use… weapons."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar shrugged and fished out some of his gold to drop off his axe for the smithy to begin repairing. Linhardt took note that the coins of today looked a mite different than he remembers them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two wandered down the street, Caspar pointing out the various stores that were open that day and offering to get Linhardt something from every single one the mage looked at for too long. He understood the bubbly man guiding him was only trying to make him feel comfortable, but he couldn't help feeling like he was being babied. Though, after a few moments of thinking about it, he eventually decided he didn't mind it that much. Most of his life was spent agonizingly alone with the humans sprinkled into his life demanding everything and more from him left and right. For a mortal of the same blood to be pampering him with attention? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could get used to it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And that is the bakery! They have some pretty kick ass scones on the weekends. Do you like sweets?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt tilted his head as he tried to recall his preferences in food. It had been so long since he ate anything but nuts and berries. He didn't have the heart- or more so didn't have the stomach- to hunt for food. Not to mention he didn't eat anything during his slumber. Obviously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't recall. But… the aroma of the bakery does give me a sense of nostalgia."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar whipped his head around towards him, eyes lit up like the sun itself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Really?? C'mon then! I'll get you something to eat! I bet you're pretty hungry anyways, yeah?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt decided for sure that he enjoyed this mortal's company. He was too sincere for his own good. He had been so accustomed to people around him wearing masks- mostly literally but also figuratively. The humans that he fought alongside all those years ago kept him at arm's length due to his nature. Even if he had been their ally, he never felt quite at home in their ranks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this little shard of the sky itself that was grasping his hand and all but dragging him into the bakery? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He'd give humanity another chance if there were more people like him out there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he stepped through the doorway of the shallow dining room, the unbridled scents of berries and sugar slammed into him like a cinderblock. Memories of a dear friend of his sharing candy between battles- the only person he allowed himself to trust during his youth. She was not human, but that didn't change her title of </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend </span>
  </em>
  <span>in his eyes. Her father would procure the two of them treats at every chance he had, even if he would scold them for divulging so much during war time. They weren't much; just cubes of tinted sugar flavored with different berry marinades swaddled in waxy paper and tweed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even in spite of their simplicity, they never failed to calm his nerves and transport his mind to dreams of peace and endless days of lazing about on open plains and hills. He had imagined himself basking in the sun until he'd grow red from the exposure, sometimes with a book in hand and other times with nothing at all but the wind in the grass and clouds far above him. He had caught a glimpse of that future when they left the Sealed Forest. He had nearly drowned in his thoughts in that moment as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook the bittersweet memories from his mind and noticed that Caspar was staring at him. For a moment, he was confused as to why Caspar looked so upset, until the other man lifted a careful hand to wipe something off his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had he been crying?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You okay?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt nodded and quickly stepped back, both of his hands raising to press into his eyes until they saw stars. He didn't pull them back down until he knew he wouldn't break down again. When he made eye contact with his companion, he was slightly overwhelmed by the understanding yet sad smile he bore. He did not detect even a trace of pity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Let's get you somethin' to eat."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And eat they did. Linhardt left the specifics up for Caspar to decide and slid into one of the few tables nestled against the wall opposite of the counter. There were three chairs, and he took the one closest to the corner of the room. It took all of his willpower to not tumble down into his nearly forgotten memories while waiting for Caspar to purchase their sweets. He knew he didn't necessarily </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>food to survive, as it was more of a luxury than anything. It would boost his overall performance while in his system, of course, but he could get by fine without it. He mostly fed off of the energy of the wind and living beings around him. At least, that's what he assumed all of this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, when a paper bag stuffed with rolls and buns was plopped down in front of him, he was surprised to feel a twitch in his abdominal region. Was that hunger? He couldn't recall ever feeling </span>
  <em>
    <span>hungry </span>
  </em>
  <span>before. Though, perhaps, this is just craving sweets more than craving sustenance. Craving the melancholy tied to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> His fingers snaked into the opening of the bag and lifted up a bun. It was dusted with what he assumed was a type of sugar and looked absolutely odd. He remembers scones from his days as a youth, and he recalls the occasional muffin for breakfast. But these looked like dinner rolls with jam packed into them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, when he bit into it, he was proven more or less correct. The berry was raspberry, he suddenly thought, and he was absolutely blown away by how vivid the tartness felt against his tongue. All of his recollections of confections from his childhood were swept right out the door with this single encounter. The tiny morsels of candied honey paled in comparison to the revelation that sat between his thumb and index finger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew he was tearing up again, but at this point he didn't much care. If he had half of his usual self consciousness, he would have noticed Caspar watching his every move and brightening with every bite he took. He did not, however, take note until his bun was gone and he was licking the excess sugar off of his thumb. He met eyes with his company as he settled his hand back down and came to the belated realisation that he had been watched the entire time he had that religious moment with a pastry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alas, he could not bring himself to be miffed from the clear breach of privacy. Caspar looked way too damned joyous for his spying to have been done with mal intent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You really liked that, huh?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt ignored the rising heat in his cheeks to instead drag another pastry out of his bag. This one was more familiar- a modern take on the scones he grew up with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...Yes. Thank you for buying these for me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't think it possible, but Caspar radiated even more from that. He had to look away after not too long lest he be blinded by that heart achingly pure smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course!!! You're one of us now, so I gotta make sure you're well fed 'n stuff, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt scoffed the statement off and took a sizeable bite from his next treat. How had they mastered the careful balance between crumbly and moist??</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you say so," he mumbled between mouthfuls- because he is not a heathen- and couldn't stop the growing smile on his face. One of them, huh? That sounded dangerously close to belonging somewhere, a line that should rarely be toed and never crossed. If </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>didn't even know what he was, why should </span>
  <em>
    <span>humans </span>
  </em>
  <span>even try to trust him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt nice nonetheless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I do say so! You're travelling with us now, and since I'm the one that started this whole party, it's my responsibility to see everyone through to the end!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar formed this? He had pinned Ashe to be the ring leader from the interactions he saw between the two. Sure, Caspar tended to take the lead in terms of conversation and direction, but Ashe was always the one physically in the front of the group. Then again, the archer </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one with the map at all times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hm."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt finished the scone and crumpled the top of the bag together to try and preserve the treats inside for later. There were only two or so left, but that could be a snack to occupy him on the road. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Caspar," he furrowed his brow as he took note of the completely untouched bag sitting in front of the other man. It looked more packed than his had been, and yet Caspar hadn't even opened it yet. "You didn't eat any of yours."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His friend blinked and glanced down to his haul for a moment before waving a hand dismissively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, Ashe and I always eat together. It started as a way for us to make sure we ate enough while on the road, but now it's more of a tradition than anything."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why didn't you say so? I would have waited to eat with you two."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out for a few seconds. So, he closed it. He seemed surprised by the remark, which in turn surprised Linhardt. He felt a little well of hurt bubble up his chest. Did Caspar not feel he was important enough to invite into their daily rituals? Sure, they had just met, but Caspar had also just made a big deal about them being a team a minute ago. Had he misjudged his-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I guess I thought you'd think it was kinda silly. I guess. I dunno. You also seemed so worked up over everything here and I didn't wanna make you wait to eat it all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The response was a lot more sincere than he was expecting, but he begrudgingly noted he should begin to expect as much from this blue haired wonder of human nature. His earlier surge of anger was long gone, and instead he bemoaned to admit he felt a little touched by the explanation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honestly, he probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> have been a little upset to have to postpone his reconnection with a long lost love of his. Caspar was a lot more intelligent than he let on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... You do have a point."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt stood from his chair and double checked his lips for fruity residue. A sudden pull of curiosity had struck him at the idea of seeing his two new companions share a meal together. It was such a domestic thing, and yet he had very limited experience with such an activity. It intrigued him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Down the street they went in relative silence, each carrying their own bag of sweets. Linhardt tried to imagine what the two would prefer for confections. Cookies? Cake? Biscuits? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mmm, his stomach flipped again just thinking about the possibilities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The building Caspar led him to was just on this side of surprising. An inn, if the sign outside and stables tucked into the back were to be considered. He didn't recall he and Ashe agreeing to meet here, but then again he hadn't paid much attention to their parting words before being dragged off to the market. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar held the door open for him, and he mumbled his thanks as he cautiously entered. He could smell soap and mead above all else, even though the dining room was all but deserted. His escort chirped a greeting to the hostess, who was the only other person in sight. She was currently wiping down one of the dinner tables from what was likely a soup spill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah, Caspar! Your rooms are already prepared. Ashe should still be up there."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thanks miss Letterman! Oh!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He parted the opening to his goody bag and yanked out a cookie swirled with chocolate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You want one? They're fresh!~"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young lady straightened up, chuckling quietly as she moved to accept the offering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alright, but only because you pulled my arm~"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two exchanged parting words and they were then on their way up the stairs to the second floor. Linhardt was enamored by the coziness of this place. The worker here seemed very familiar with Caspar and Ashe, so he could only imagine they had been camping here for a while as they planned out their trip to the Sealed Forest. He wondered what they thought of him, a stranger in odd clothing that appeared with them after they left a supposedly haunted location. Or, at least, that's what Ashe had informed him that his home had been referred to. It wasn't surprising, honestly. He had hoped to give off that vibe when he'd teleport nosy adventurers out of his abode. The fog was an added effect to make it easier to sneak up on them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar stopped in front of a door and opened it immediately with his free hand. Linhardt would have scolded him for not knocking had Ashe not been obviously waiting for their return. He had a bundle of arrows in his lap on the floor and their bags neatly piled and tucked under a small desk huddled in the corner of the room. There was a single window that revealed the tiny sprawl of the market they'd just came from. Ashe noticed their "groceries" and perked up visibly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh! You went to the bakery!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yup! Today was cookie day, so I nabbed a shit ton."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And how much did it cost you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar set the brown bag down on the bed next to Ashe's shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not… </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>a lot… but we deserve it! We just had a job well done, right??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I suppose…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt understood this meal Caspar had brought was more than just a typical, daily tradition. It was a celebration for them. They were spelunkers that just completed an expedition and overcame death itself. Of course they'd want to bask in their success together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt like he was intruding a little. That is, until he remembered the parcel he had snatched on their trip out of the forest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can pay you back for buying me dinner."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar turned his head to stare at Linhardt strangely. Ashe waved a hand, seemingly surprised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, no! Don't worry about it! We more than owe you for all that you did anyways. If anything, we should be paying you back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt unbuttoned his tunic and pulled a grimy burlap sack from one of his interior pockets. The rope binding it together had all but fallen apart, but his magic had kept it from completely disintegrating over all these years. He placed his bag of sweets on the ground next to him so he could use both hands to wrestle the crusty cloth open without ripping the whole thing to pieces. When he finally managed this, he scooped up some coins and held them out towards the other two to look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not sure if they're still worth anything considering they're from my era, but… gold is still gold, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe stared at his hand like he was holding a baby wyvern in it. Caspar's mouth was open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...What? Do they look that strange?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah- no!" Ashe quickly pushed himself to his feet and strode over to examine the coins. A few of them were from a neighboring land, but most were from Fódlan. They each had the crest of Seiros engraved on them. "It's just- where did you…??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's the stash I stole from my old boss before leaving her service to nap."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The incredulous looks his companions gave him were almost enough to make him laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What? She was being needy and I wanted to be prepared. This is only a portion of what I originally took. I spent the rest on… sweets, admittedly."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe shook his head, chuckling to himself as he examined one of the coins in his own hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"These are incredible, Linhardt. They're literally artifacts! I bet if we gave some to the church, we could get quite a bit in the way of funds for our work."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah! Not to mention they'd probably let us squat there for a while!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Church? Was there a religion people believed in these days?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where is this church?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe handed his coin back and hopped over to dive through his backpack. Once he found his map, he returned to Linhardt's side and unfurled it to show him. The first thing Linhardt noticed were the three bodies of power clearly labelled in the primary colors. So the empire had split up, huh?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"See that? That's where you were, and we are somewhere around here. That," Ashe drew a line from the general location of the town they were in to the center of the continent where the words "Garreg Mach" were written in lofty cursive. "is the Monastery. It houses the Church of Seiros and the Officer's Academy."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Church of Seiros?" Linhardt echoed, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "What on earth was Seiros doing making a church for herself??"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashe stared at him for a moment before coiling the map back up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, you probably know more than we would. The archbishop preaches the teachings of Seiros, but her and her followers pray to the Goddess, Sothis."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt's expression pulled a full 180° at the mention of Sothis. He hadn't heard that name in many, many, many years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh… so she went and made a religion out of her. How… Seiros."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His company stared at him expectantly, though he wasn't quite sure what it was they wanted him to say. Sothis had been pretty cool when she was around, and she was pretty powerful to boot. Seiros had been pretty torn up when she fell asleep, and completely changed when Zanado happened. He had, luckily, not been in the neighborhood that day. That didn't stop her from recruiting him into her quest for revenge, however. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He absentmindedly shuffled his coins back into his bag and tucked it back away into his robes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I suppose I can see it. Sothis </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>done quite a bit to progress civilisation while she was around. I never had anything against her. She even gave me one of those crests she was handing out at the time, even though I had nothing to do with her. She told me she saw a bright future for me. Personally, I don't really understand nor agree. But it's helped me out quite a bit over time, so I can't really complain."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You… have a crest?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up from his musings. He almost mistook Ashe for a puppy that had been offered a slab of pork. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes. I share the crest my dearest friend from my childhood bore. She was the one that helped me learn how to use it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Again with the bated breaths and expectant stares. Linhardt sighed, cheeks prickling from the intense attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's only a minor crest, but it is the crest of Cethleann. She herself had the major crest, of course, since it was basically named after her. The crest was created and gifted with her in mind, after all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caspar leapt from his thin perch on the bed and bounced closer to the other two, eyes positively </span>
  <em>
    <span>glowing </span>
  </em>
  <span>with intrigue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>You were best friends with Saint Cethleann???</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt's posture sombered a little as he recalled her face. So soft and loving. Even when remembering her smile and laugh, all he felt was a bittersweet sadness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Something like that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The wonder and curiosity from moments before was snuffed out almost immediately from his tone of voice. He hadn't to kill the mood, but he suddenly wasn't feeling up for conversation any longer. He felt tired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He brushed past the two and climbed up on the bed. It was almost foreign to him- plush mattress and warm blankets. Even before his slumber, he had rarely been given the opportunity to sleep in a proper bed. War rarely allowed such frivolity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He snaked his way under the covers, taking care not to kick off any of the items that sat on the edge of the mattress in his shifting. Almost as soon as he had settled and snuggled down into the pillow did he pass out, lost once again to the expanse that was his never ending weariness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew he would regret going to sleep with Cethleann on his mind. Every time he did, he would dream of her and days long gone. Of the rag tag family he had found himself in all that time ago. Cichol had warmed up to him near the end of the war. He had proved his devotion to his daughter multiple times in battle, despite Linhardt's powerful aversion to blood. He had spilled it for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He ended up leaving them in the end though. All for some stupid nap that likely outlived them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He dreamed of cubed candy, fish skewers and broken promises. </span>
</p>
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